Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-11
POSSIBILITIES OF BASE BALL
What the Future May Bring for
Pitchers and CatChers.

st. Paul Globe: Age has wrought a
great change IN base ball There is as
much difference between the base ball of
ten years ago and that of to-day as there
way train. When George Wright, Ross
Barnes, Harry Wright, Al Spaulding and
Ietler twirlcd the sphere pitching was
different from what it is now. This de-
partment, in fact, has undergone the
greatest change. The pitcher now is the
ruling element; then he was not, because
there was no latitude allowed him.
Straight arm and over arm throwing was
not allowed, and curves and twists were
unknown. If a man had suggested the
latter at that time he would have
been shot. The pitcher simply
sent the ball over the plate. The nearer
he could have approached hitting
the bat the better he was. No strategy
was used except that of varying the
speed of the ball. Scores used to run so
high that 1t took two men to score. But
change began. People tired of slugging.
They wanted some science. The mana
gers caught on to the demand. Rcstrlc-
tiOns began to be taken from the pitcher
The first was forbdding him to throw be-
low the waist. He was allowed to throw
the ball anywhere below the shoulder.
Later he could throw anywhere he chose,
and the game became one of pitchers
The hard worked pitcher has had one of
varied experience. He used to stand
back and look on. There was no picking
the shoots off the very edge of the bat;
no miniature jail about his head; no
buckskin about hs fingers; no liver pads
on his chest. When the balls began to get
whiskers as a result OF change in pitch.
ing, he found it necessary to
begin to protect his hands, until
to-day they look, when ready for SER
vice, like the pillow IN child's cot A
friend of the catcher then conceived the
idea of a chest protector and the bat
tered end of the battcry's armor was COM
plete. In spite of all these contrvances,
however, split and broken fingers, wrists
and arms are still plentiful among catch
ers, and it is thought that before many
years the pitcher will catch through
padded holes in a fence or in scoop net
standing a few feet one side of the bat
ter. A genius has now struck plan
which he will spring shortly through
means OF which game can be played
without pitcher or catcher. a small
krupp gun will be placed in the pitchers S
box to take the pitchers place. An iron.
bound, steel-plated fence will be placed
behind the batter. A small boy will be
secured to load the gun, put the base
ball in it and fire it at the batter. The
fence will send back the ball on the re.
bound. Even If few small boys and
hatters are killed, what difference will it
maker The world Is full of both. The
umpire will be clothed, according to the
plan, in steel armor Death dealing foul
tips will no longer have any terror tor
him, while the arger and yells of the
umpires IN the grand stand will not
phase him. Possibly he will be supplied
with revolver, slung- shot and dirk to per-
suade the players that he knows his bust
ness. The official scores will be encased
in wire cage until the chasers have
will protect them from the wrath and
vengeance of the man whose ledger ac-
count of errors grows quicker than they
think it should.